NBC Backs Megyn Kelly Over Allegations Of Toxic Bullying

NBC is standing in support of Megyn Kelly amid rumors of toxic bullying on the set of Today. Two of Kelly’s top producers came under fire about how they treat certain employees on the show. The network responded with an official statement, bashing the claims of bullying within the ranks.

Apparently former NBC employee Kevin Bleyer released an email detailing the unfair treatment on Today. Bleyer claims that he witnessed the behavior firsthand and even named the producers as being Jackie Levin and Christine Cataldi.

Although the producers are tied to Kelly, her name was not brought up in the email. A source close to the situation has since revealed that NBC recently fired Bleyer, which probably sparked the email release.

“Jackie and Christine are being attacked unfairly. They are both excellent and experienced producers, and have the full support of everyone here,” the network explained.

The source noted that Bleyer used to work as a writer for late-night comedy and wasn’t used to the arduous schedule of morning television. This could be one reason why he was fired and why he thought producers were being too demanding on staff members.

It’s no secret that morning TV programs often push writers and staffers to the brink of exhaustion, which often leads to tension on the set. Bleyer, however, thought Levin and Cataldi took things too far and were outright bullying staffers on set.

The bullying rumors come in the wake of NBC’s scandal with Matt Lauer. After the network fired Lauer for sexual misconduct, they announced that Savannah Guthrie will be taking his place alongside Hoda Kotb. NBC also hired a new executive producer for Today, Libby Leist, who will be taking over for the retired Don Nash.

Despite all the turnover, NBC is still being investigated on how Lauer’s scandal was handled and how much executives knew about his behavior before it came to light.

As far as Kelly is concerned, she has experienced a rough transition since leaving Fox News. In the past few weeks, Kelly has become a leading voice on NBC for the “Me Too” movement. But her latest scandal has left many people wondering if Kelly isn’t practicing what she preaches.

In fact, Bleyer claims that he was fired after complaining to network executives about the two producers’ behavior. He even says that Levin and Cataldi were directly responsible for his dismissal because they did not tolerate any dissenting voices amongst their staffers.

It’s isn’t clear why Bleyer was fired, but it sounds like Megyn Kelly has a lot of issues to iron out in the coming weeks.

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Fortunately for her, her show is starting to gain in the ratings department, though that might change in light of Bleyer’s email. Bleyer has not commented on the email he released.